To join the Australian Defence Force (ADF), all applicants must pass a basic pre-entry fitness assessment (PFA). Each year, more than 20% of applicants fail. The rate is even higher for women, with 4 out of 10 failing to pass. The biggest reasons are poor technique, lack of motivation and over-confidence.

To address this high failure rate and better prepare applicants for not only entry into the ADF but a successful career in their chosen role, a smartphone application was created, ADF Active.

It is designed to tackle the three reasons applicants fail to pass their PFA by creating a customised health, fitness, and wellbeing program.

It generates a personalised plan based on your personality profile (gender, fitness indicators), service job being applied for, and the days left until your fitness test date.

Inside the app, users are served timely, relevant, useful articles and podcasts by fitness and wellness experts.

Structure, visual design, navigation, and intuitive design behaviour make fitness accessible. When launching the app, you immediately can start the workout of the day.

The app uses your feedback on which exercises were too tough, too easy, or just right to adapt your plan, keeping you on track for your fitness test date.

You can track your progress against benchmarks in real-time.

The app provides voice-commands, 65 fully-guided, step-by-step instructional videos, and times your rest periods between exercises.

Original, expert content in-app includes 40 articles and podcasts on physical and mental wellbeing.

The app is promoted at recruitment centres around Australia and on the ADF website. It is available for free in app stores.